How Peyton Ford is Carrying on the Legacy of a Negro League Legend

Peyton Ford, a player on the DC Grays, is a descendant of the great Cumberland Posey, a breathtakingly successful player, manager and owner of the original Negro League Homestead Grays. Born on June 20, 1890, Posey is the only person who has ever been inducted into both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame.

"It's nice to know that you come from greatness," says Peyton. "It keeps me motivated and pushes me to do something with my life."

Peyton's family grew up in Homestead, Pennsylvania, where Posey was born and is also laid to rest. The grandmother of Peyton is buried beside him. Posey's family is filled with trailblazers. His mother, Angelina "Anna" Stevens Posey, was the first Black woman to graduate and teach at Ohio State University. His father, Cumberland Posey Sr., was the son of freed enslaved people and is believed to be the first African-American to receive a chief engineering license for riverboats in the United States.

Peyton noted that it is amazing to have the opportunity to play in this league, as it has become as much of a learning experience about his lineage as it has been about baseball. 

"Coming down here, I've taken the time to look through my family lineage," says Peyton, who has had a growing interest in digging into his roots since he has been playing on the Grays. Learning about Posey's life has been a major inspiration for Peyton to continue that legacy.

Peyton touched on the impact that Posey made on a league that is often overlooked in American history. "I want there to still be an ongoing awareness and mention of not only him, but of Negro League Baseball as a whole." Posey's success has made a profound impact. .

Posey began playing for the Homestead Grays in 1911. He played in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. By the 1920s, Posey rose to take ownership. He led the Grays for almost 30 years and under his leadership they won nine consecutive pennants and eight of nine Negro League National Titles from 1937 to 1945. He managed the 1931 Grays team that finished the season with a 163-23 record — one of the greatest seasons in the history of the game. In the 1940s Posey had talked with Branch Rickey about the best way to integrate baseball. Unfortunately, Posey passed away in 1946, a year before Jackie Robinson made his major league debut.

In 2006, Posey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His great-great nephew, Peyton, was born the same year.

"I just feel like I'm here to keep the legacy alive," Peyton says. He is now the starting centerfielder for the DC Grays. 

Peyton also is a rising junior at California University of Pennsylvania. Carrying on Posey's legacy is no small feat, but Peyton has been making large strides in the game of baseball for his university and for the DC Grays. Just like the great Cumberland Posey once patrolled the outfield for the Homestead Grays, Peyton now roams centerfield carrying on that legacy that runs through his blood.